My track listing section may seem a bit lame but I have no recourse. When this disc arrived, I hadn’t a clue that the discs would be packaged in a DVD case. Secondly, no track listing was included in the case. The only thing I knew was that the Opus(sy) IV and Cocktales discs along with other EP and unreleased tracks would be included in this set. I really spent the money for these discs just to get my hands on the hard to find Cocktales cd, the first release by Cock And Ball Torture. I spent a ton of time scouring the Internet looking for a track listing for this set but was unable to find anything. I don’t give much of a shit about the song titles but rather what EP’s are included in this set and which songs are unreleased. Either way, this is a powerful release by one of the nastiest gore-grind bands.

The first disc is the Opus(sy) IV disc which was originally released in 2000 by Shredded Records. What we have here is some of the filthiest, phlegm-inducing gore-grind ever to be released. Just the overall sound of the disc is unparalled, from the pitchshifted vocals to the grinding guitars. Most of the songs chug along at a moderate pace with violent grind intermingled. CBT ranges from these slow, groovy parts to quick grind quite frequently. And the listener is left battered and deep-fried like your father’s onion rings. Very few bands can match the sheer intensity of this band while imitating their simple songs. Don’t pick up this disc if your definition of brutality includes 4,000 notes, non-stop blast beats, and weak vocals. These people will find themselves boggled as to why they enjoy the disc so much even though it is so simple. This is the wonder that is CBT.

The second disc has the Cocktales disc and a bunch of unreleased songs and other stuff from splits and ep’s. Some listeners were not fond of the most recent CBT release but this release showcases the band before the slight change in sound. This second disc is loaded with heavy, filthy stuff, just like the first disc. The sound is a bit deeper but it benefits from the low recording and the style is the same. The recording sound changes depending on the year of recording but it does not affect the music in the least. It is just some great gore-grind. For anyone not familiar with the band, this is a great release to pick up. For everyone else, it’s worth buying just for the few songs that you don’t have in your collection.

I have always admired CBT for their ability to combined nasty, sludgy riffs with intense grind but, with this release, you can see that they have been doing it for quite a while. Add to that the sick vocals and hilarious song titles ("Panda Penis", "Fat Sex Mama", "Big Tit Slappers") and who could go wrong? Explicit gore-grind from the masters!

Review byDouble Ds